#I hope I get a chance to write that internal struggle it would make good relationship drama

[rubra-wav]

That hc you made a while back about mirror sex with Vox has not left my brain. Can we get some top Vox fucking into reader in front of a mirror?

The Person In The Mirror : Vox x reader smut

A/N Any Naethen Apollo fans here? 🫡

Wav writing domtop Vox twice in a row 🤨 Likelier than you'd think (Next req is domtop Vox as well actually lmao)

Cw: NSFW/18+, gn!reader, mirror sex obv, domtop Vox/bottom reader, humiliation/degradation, light pain play, sadism

- There is not much that Vox would enjoy more than the filthiest mirror sex on the planet with his partner where he's in control.

- Vox's go-to position for mirror sex where he's top would undeniably be something where he could see everything.

- He'd be fucking into you while you're in his lap, facing you towards the mirror with both of his claws gripping hard into your thighs and spreading them wide open so he could see his dick pumping in and out of you again and again.

- You'd be second fiddle for being watched because it would just be this asshole watching himself more than you through everything, or at least most of it.

- Vox's eyes would be fixated on himself as if mesmerised.

- Dominating you roughly would drive him absolutely crazy on a normal day, but actually getting to watch himself as he does it does things to him.

- Just being some random sex friend or one night stand doing this would absolutely suck because the chances you actually get off in that situation are pretty low.

- He would be entirely self-focused and would be fucking you with absolute abandon as he chases his own release, rutting and panting as he stares into his own eyes with a drooling grin.

- If you are his S/O and he actually cares to look to you during it, he would focus on trying to get you there too however.

- As his S/O, I hope you're ready to receive an utterly dizzying mixture of possessive degradation and praise in that position.

- He'd take one hand off of your thigh, revealing brusies and indents from where his claws have been kissing your skin roughly, to scrape over your scalp before grabbing your hair hard to pull your head back and growl into your ear.

- Calling you his, telling you how filthy you are for taking him like this, praising you for how good you feel around him. Calling you his doll and meaning it.

- Whatever pulls humiliated whines from you, he would be saying it.

- He would be making you kiss him open-mouthed and messily, wrapping his tongue around yours as he urges your own to do the same with no form of shame at all.

- He'd force you to look ahead at yourself in the mirror while you came, telling you what a beautiful fucked out mess you were for him, running his tongue up your neck as he feels you clench down onto him with even more pleasurable tightness then you had been throughout.

- When he orgasms inside of you, he'd keep you in that same position for bit just so he can watch his come slowly drip out of you and onto the sheets below with a breathy laugh.

- Afterwards, you would be cared for, but you'll be feeling the aftermath of it that's for damn sure.

- He would love to see you struggling to walk properly afterwards too.

- He'd likely treat you like you're annoying for 'making him help you', but he would be going wild internally about it. He'd like to act like you're so dependant and needy for him that you're unable to be without him.

Him being the sadistic cunt he is 💀

Bro even if he was significantly changed for the better this situation would bring the absolute worst out of him imo.

Feeding the bottoms omfg

Masterlist

[northsoulss]

the media thinking reader is in a relationship w some popular male footballer but she's actually with elisa and they soft (or hard) launch their relationship 🤭🤭

mon amour - elisa de almeida

(a/n : here it is! hopefully this is what you had in mind lol. this is quite a long one. writing this hit home, so i quite like how it turned out! thanks for the request xoxo)

growing up in a relatively conservative town, you never had the chance to express your identity as a queer individual. it was a constant internal battle, thinking something was wrong with you for liking someone of the same gender. things became more complicated when you began liking football, it being seen as more of a boy-ish sport.

thankfully, your hometown had a small women’s youth football club, and you begged your parents to allow you to sign on, which they begrudgingly accepted. hoping to meet other queer women, you went into football hopeful, but your ideas were quickly shut down when you realised a lot of them were straight. you continuously struggled with your sexuality as you grew up, fear taking over whenever you had the opportunity to come out. so you never did, remaining closeted for all your teenage years.

as you began to advance and become better at football, you wanted to make it a career, to do it professionally. eventually when you signed with psg a year ago, it was undoubtedly the best decision of your life. after moving to france, you finally got to experience a proper queer community with supportive people. you still made no move to come out, for you realised that there was no need to put it out there; to let everyone know that you were queer. so long as you were contented with what you identified as, nothing else really mattered. or so you thought.

over time as you became more popular and well known, you began to see that there are many upsides and downsides to being a public figure. on one hand, you have formed close bonds with other footballers of both genders and experienced nothing like you could have ever imagined. on the other hand, every time you posted something vaguely couple-ly with one of your friends, especially the guys, your fans would go nuts.

“is she dating him?”, “i knew they were together!” were the very common comments you would get when posting pictures with you and another footballer, who happened to be one of your very good guy friends, _(insert male name)_ , whom you hung out with quite often. you decided that one day you were sick of the comments, and posted something for pride, saying that you were proud to be a queer woman. lo and behold, that did not stop the comments.

lady luck must have been on your side for your team has been nothing but incredibly supportive of you coming out. at the same time, one of your teammates took this chance to snag you, and surprise, surprise. you fell head over heels for the woman and have been dating ever since.

you have decided to lay low for the first few months, trying your hardest not to post anything that would make the fans suspicious. however, one day you decided had enough of the speculations.

it was a lazy saturday, you and elisa were out at a quaint neighbourhood cafe having brunch, just enjoying the warm summer weather. it had been a few days after your 6 month anniversary, and you just couldn’t get enough of her. so, as sneakily as you could, you snapped a picture of her looking off into the distance, watching the kids at the playground goofing around with a small smile. too bad your phone wasn’t silenced, so a loud shutter sound was made and caused elisa to whip her head around.

she locks eyes with you, and you must have had the guiltiest expression on your face, because she immediately broke out in laughter. “what are you doing baby?” she laughs harder as your face reddens, her taking your hand in hers and rubbing small circles with her thumb.

“you just looked really good okay!” you defend yourself defiantly, showing her the photo that you took. she gives you a knowing look, before turning away to continue looking at the scenery around, a small smirk on her lips. there was a comfortable silence amongst you two, but your mind started to wonder. for a while now, you’ve been meaning to ask elisa about announcing your relationship. you were sick and tired on hiding things and being so secretive, but you were scared. you enjoy the privacy, the intimate looks given to each other across the room, the subtle electrifying touches on the pitch when you’re standing next to each other. you just don’t want to ruin things-

“what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” elisa breaks you out of your thoughts, head tilted slightly to take a look at you. you were oddly silent for a while, and when elisa turned back around to see what you were doing, you were just staring into space, a dazed look on your face.

you swallow dryly, taking a deep breath. “i think i want to announce our relationship.” you say quickly, averting eye contact with her. you felt her hand tighten around yours, interlocking your fingers with hers. you look up at her timidly from your lap, and you see lines of worry etched onto her face. her brows furrowed slightly, her mouth in a taunt line.

“are you sure about this?” she questions, concern clear as day in her voice. she knew about your past, and you were the one who was more worried about the relationship compared to her. now that you were bringing this up, she had every right to be concerned.

“well, i’m just sick of people thinking i’m dating that meathead. i’m not. i’m dating you. you’re the one i love.” the moment the last sentence left your mouth, elisa swore her heart skipped a beat.

“a-are you very sure? there’s no going back after you announce this you know?” she looks into your eyes, searching for any signs of uncertainty or hesitation, but all she saw was determination.

“i’m sure, baby.” you smile at her, pressing a chaste kiss against the back of her hand. at that moment, elisa was so proud of you. you have come so far, and she knew how big of a step this was for you — to publicly announce that you were in a relationship with another woman.

“i’m proud of you, mon amour.” she wore a warm smile, eyes crinkled, the midday sunlight hitting her facial features just right. you pick up your phone to snap a picture, and this time you did not shy away from her, even asking her to give you her best smile.

before you left the cafe, you quickly posted it, tagging her and titling the caption as “the love of my life, @/elisadealmeida5. mon amour.🤍” of course, the fans were not impressed, but you didn’t care, for you were finally proud to be loud about your identity and your relationship, and the press and media are not going to get in the way of that.

later that night, as you lay in bed with your head on her chest, you get a phone call from your good guy friend. elisa raises a brow at you, and you shrug, picking it up and putting him on speaker.

“yo what’s up! you’re on speaker by the way.”

“you just had to do a hard launch huh?” he cuts to the chase, tone teasing, but proud. you groan, your hand coming up to cover your face.

“ugh c’mon! they were shipping me with you out of all people!” you tease back, looking at elisa who was staring at you, admiration in her eyes. you give her a soft smile, pressing a small kiss on her cheek.

“yeah, yeah, i know. proud of you, short stack. tell elisa i said hi!” and with that, he hung up. not long after, you received an instagram notification where he replied to your post. “i told you so.. what a man child.” you read his comment and smile knowingly, and put your phone away, turning around to face elisa again when she grabs your face and kisses you hard. you gasp into the kiss, melting into her lips. when she pulls away, she leans her forehead against yours, you panting slightly.

“i’ll say this again and again, and i know you’ll grow tired of it, but i’m so proud of you, mon amour, don’t forget that.” she finishes her sentence with another passionate kiss to your lips, smiling into the kiss.

[fl00mie]

tw: suicide

thinking about how The Truce comic is not simply a self-discovery of error and ink and a primary introduction to xtale, but explores other facets of the characters such as hopelessness to the point of wanting to end their lives. i've known about this comic for years but i never paid enough attention to this type of topics and i just used to interpret it as fun interactions between these two idiots (i don't want to proclaim this as canon, i'm just looking to analyze jakei's interpretations of these characters)

on the one hand there's ink, who clearly looks more desperate than error and externalizes it in order to control it

although we can know more about his perspective of the situation by being the narrator of the story, i feel that "talking to himself as if he were writing a funny diary" fits perfectly, in addition to staying calm by doing any type of activity or physical movement self-talk helps him with this

of course it would be much better for him if he had someone to talk to, and he does! but it's error we're talking about so thinking about it, ink probably bothered him to feel company by getting scolded by him (unintentionally or not)

on the other hand there is error, who, as we know, is completely accustomed to the void so it's easy for him to stay calm at first. what seems to make him lose his mind is not having the freedom to move (much less with ink, or in general another person next to him) or to leave that place, so he chooses to try to have it all to achieve a minimum of satisfaction or self-sufficiency

we notice how ink is losing his sanity more as time goes by, he notices error is also having an internal struggle but knows how to hide it (this really says a lot about the character, whether due to pride, trauma or any other reason, he doesn't like to look weak under any circumstances)

i always find the interpretations that many give to the emptying ink vials quite ingenious, in this situation it clearly represents the loss of hope and the no escape from the mental and emotional hell in which they find themselves

they both seem to regain some consciousness as they literally see their reason for existing in front of them

but are totally incapable of doing anything about it

this, in a subtle way, ends all the hopes that could still exist within both of them

error makes the first move and, strangely, is "cordial" with his companion for the last time before literally ending his life, they start a small conversation in which they say goodbye (in a way). it's interesting how this situation seems to be of no importance to error, he knows what's coming next and yet he doesn't seem upset at all

as well, error does not seem to have incited ink to do the same as him (on the contrary, it's as if he stopped him from doing it in case he had considered it but said it in a very crude way), however, ink takes it as a free pass to "catch him later"

this is how ink gives his last message to those who once helped him, to those who allowed him to continue living in the first place. he tries to call them for help (it's important to emphasize that he also, consciously or not, sought to help error, whether for "selfish" reasons such as staying active and energized in his multiversal journey, having a purpose in his fight more than just protecting, or any other)

and instead of an answer to his prayers..

the only thing he achieves is witnessing a nightmare incarnate, his world shatters in a couple of seconds with no chance to stop it

it's a mix of feelings unique to him, something he's never experienced before, everything he longed to protect all this time didn't seem to have borne fruit, what kind of torture was that?

that was the straw that broke the camel's back

error, having witnessed this, feels fulfilled at first, without lifting a single finger he has achieved what he had always (from what he remembers) longed for.. and still, he doesn't seem to care about the situation at all, what good is a small drop of satisfaction in a sea of ​​hypocrisy?

the roles seem to have reversed, and even though error wasn't that hopeless anymore, he continued with his initial idea and this time, both of them say goodbye, ready to proceed and "get this over with"

[spicyspiders]

Hi, not sure if you write for Phillip Graves so if you don't no worries but I just thought I had to send in case there's a chance you do🙏🙏

So the idea is the Commander doesn't use the communal showers, he got his own private quarters for that, but maybe something goes wrong with his own shower unit so thats a no go after a really long day. He goes for the showers really late at night, like he usually would at his own quarters. He wouldn't expect anyone to be there this late, but m reader walks in while graves is already there and showering. He's immediately flustered, but graves notices before he could leave, so it would be just awkward if m reader just up and left. Graves doesn't mind seeing the reader there, its been shown that he cares abt his shadows a lot. The reader showers with his fellow shadows a ton of course, but the fact that its the Commander who is usually not seen in here does something to him, and the Commander def notices it and takes advantage of the opportunity, showing him he's got nothing to be nervous about... could contain gratituous fondling and fingering I feel so silly writing this gah damn anyway of course feel free to ignore if you don't write for him keep up the awesome work 🙏🙏

This is really short but I hope you still like it. I put some praise kink in this because idk after reading this ask I just felt like I had to.

“I asked you a question,” Graves says as he nips at the side of your neck. Warm water falls from the showerhead, washing the pinprick of pain away. 

You pant against the wet tile as you struggle internally to try and remember what he just asked you. “Sir, I don’t-”

His fingers crook inside you, right against your prostate, pulling a moan from your throat, “I would say we’re on a first name basis, wouldn’t you say?” He ducks his head into your neck, pressing his grin right into where he just nipped. It makes sense, two of his fingers are inside you after all. 

“I can’t remember what you said,” you grit out, your forehead pressed to the tile. 

Graves– Phillip lets out a chuckle before repeating himself, “I just wanted to know if we need to go somewhere drier?” His fingers move slowly in and out of your hole, and every time you finally think of an answer, the pads will brush over the bundle of nerves, making your mind go blank. 

“I’m fine,” you respond quickly. To prove it to him, you spread your legs and get a better footing on the wet tile. 

“I knew you would be,” Phillip responds, and presses a kiss to your neck. “Just a little praise is all it takes to get your legs spread?”

The praise in question had only been one sentence, but it still managed to set you alight. But then your brain had caught up to your ears and you realized who had said it. 

“Good work on the mission today, your marksmanship made it go through without a hitch,” Phillip had said, his fingers buried in his hair as he cleaned it. The praise already made your cock twitch, but after you turned and saw that it was your commander that had said it, you prayed he couldn’t see as your cock slowly thickened. 

Your prayer went unanswered, but for once, you were grateful. 

A small smile lights up your face, “you’re my commander, of course I want your praise,” his teeth attach to your neck, making it harder for you to get your next words out, “we all do,” you say with a moan. 

“The others don’t spread their legs as beautifully as you do,” Phillip whispers into your ear.

His choice of words makes you want to question if he’s done this with the others, but when his fingers press against your prostate again, your mouth opens, but only to let out another moan.

[justanotherwriter140]

Kung Fu Panda 4 - The Movie

The last really, really long discussion post (for now).

Major spoilers ahead!

This review is full of spoilers, so please refrain from reading through it until you've watched KFP4. I would highly suggest doing so, as I want everyone to form their own opinions without my influence. The movie has its flaws (some of which admittedly being a bit distracting), but it's a fun film that has things to offer.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is a fun movie (take that as you will) that takes its audience on an action-packed, surprisingly funny, yet relatively contained adventure on which Po doesn't really do much. It's an inconsequential, safe sequel that doesn't really hurt the franchise but adds close to nothing.

I had a good time watching the movie. It was obviously produced with its theater experience in mind and the action scenes especially reflected that priority. The humor was actually funny sometimes and I enjoyed Po and Zhen's dynamic. During the film, I was able to put most (most!) of my grievances aside and take the movie for what it is. I've discovered that the best way to watch KFP4 is with low expectations and an open mind.

I have a lot of things to say about KFP4, both complaints and compliments (though the former might be taking the forefront in this review), and I hope this review can help those of you who have seen the movie organize your thoughts. I've been having a lot of trouble with that specific aspect of things myself. Those who get it get it.

With that said, let's get into my full review of KFP4! I've been waiting for nearly 2 years to write this and I'm so excited to share every single thought.

I'm going to follow the format of my first discussion post and curate a bulleted list of my thoughts, followed by an analysis of each of these points. Keep in mind that everything I say is IMO and this is more of a rant post than anything else.

Here are my main points:

The Furious Five's role is comically minuscule in the context of the film. Their actions are inconsequential and add nothing to the plot (a confirmed last-minute add), and they have 30~ seconds of screen time. Shifu is also largely irrelevant.

Mr. Ping and Li's presence has little to no effect on the movie (though I won't complain too much because they were pretty fun to watch and this movie has bigger problems). In almost any scenario, I am adamantly against having characters present that don't add anything to the narrative; however, Mr. Ping is an exception. I love Mr. Ping. James Hong is a gem.

Zhen's screen time is not utilized well and her character is underdeveloped. She definitely wasn't annoying, but I didn't find her either compelling or funny enough to warrant the screen time she was given, especially considering it wasn't used to establish a backstory/strong motives. This makes me feel bad for the character because the movie kind of screwed her out of any substantial development.

The Chameleon, while complimented greatly by Viola Davis, is an underwhelming villain. Viola Davis is amazing in this film and I would suggest watching it for her performance if for nothing else, but the Chameleon is underwhelming considering the super cool concept behind the character.

The film feels very rushed. Apologies to those who disagree, but I think the pacing is atrocious and the final fight is anticlimactic. The movie felt like a word-vomit with no discernible intermissions that stops abruptly when the film ends.

I felt as though Po didn't change/grow as a person and the audience never had a chance to either bond with or relate to his character. His internal struggle is kept to a minimum and we don't spend a moment alone with him as an audience, which is disorienting and distracting. Watching the film felt like running into an old friend at the store who's too in a rush to have a real conversation.

The action scenes were strong with few exceptions. Creative art direction was utilized and I thought the martial arts choreography was entertaining and dynamic. I love the color palette of the film and many scenes were very impressive visually.

With my main points established, I do believe it's ranting time. Strap in, folks.

Let's start strong with the Furious Five: I'm gutted. Chagrined, despondent, crestfallen, etc.

The lack of the Furious Five negatively affects KFP4 so much, because not only does their absence hurt the atmospheric integrity of KFP as a franchise, it also forces KFP4 to bring in a slew of different characters—all while still noncommittally including the FF at the very end because I believe the marketing team required it—that clog up the cast a bit. It all goes to show how important strong, established side characters are.

The Furious Five are side characters, but the role of "side character" does not equate to being irrelevant, expendable, or exchangeable. I recognize that the Furious Five aren't super developed as characters beyond a handful of lines that allude to traits sprinkled sparingly among the members; however, I believe that the tiny bits of development we have been given have proved impactful in the past. Tigress's development in KFP2 is a prime example of how much narratively conscious changes (however small they may be) can positively affect these movies.

Because of limited runtimes, the Furious Five often operate as more of a singular unit than five individuals. Even so, I don't think discarding them is valid. They're so important to the KFP universe (to Po's universe!) and not having them with him feels so wrong. The Furious Five are fully integral to the heart of Kung Fu Panda, which is why I believe a lot of those who have seen the new movie have expressed something feeling "off" or something being missing.

I agree with this sentiment. To me, KFP4 didn't feel like a KFP movie. I don't need a Furious Five spin-off movie and I can be fully content with a KFP5 centered around Po's journey as an individual as was intended from the beginning, but he can't carry an entire movie on his back. As strong as he is in every sense of the word, he is only one character. He's the centerpiece of the franchise, but a centerpiece can only go so far without the rest of the design, so to speak.

For me, the Furious Five's absence is one of this film's biggest faults. It's huge and glaring. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, either, because the friends with whom I saw the film refused to talk about any other aspect of the movie after seeing it. Seeing them at the end was better than nothing, of course, but it was a disappointing culmination after eight years of waiting.

That all is to say I feel robbed. Despite all of this, though, I understand that there were reasons why the Furious Five weren't included in the movie. I don't believe the production team would exclude the Furious Five unless they weren't given a choice.

Shifu and Po's dynamic continues to be thoroughly delightful but their interactions are short and simplified. I would have loved to see more of them in this film, especially considering the extreme relevance of teacher-student relationships in KFP4. I (somewhat) digress, though, because the idea of Shifu having to live at the Jade Palace with only Po for an extended period of time is hilarious enough on its own. Maybe that's what the short film is about!

The comedy is odd but has some jokes that stand out. Po maintains a healthy relationship with his inner sass, which I think makes him more fun to watch and kind of eradicates the man-child verdict. Some jokes don't land, of course, but I genuinely thought KFP4 had some funny moments. Mr. Ping was consistently awesome and Po had some good lines sprinkled throughout the film.

As for Mr. Ping, he and Li Shan are the subjects of the film's B-plot as they follow Po to Juniper City out of shared concern for their son's safety. In my mind, they don't add anything to the story that couldn't have been brought about by other characters, but they had their moments of being entertaining. I enjoyed their silliness and thought they had a cute dynamic if nothing else.

Speaking of other characters, I want to discuss KFP4's deuteragonist and why I genuinely feel bad about the way her character was treated.

I want to let it be known that I'm still not on board with Po passing the Dragon Warrior torch to another character. While I agree that his arc is now calling for him to have a student, I disagree with the notion of him retiring from his DW role.

As I stated in my first discussion post:

Didn’t the initial significance and nuance of the title come from the fact that there is only one person who can be the Dragon Warrior, because the concept of the “Dragon Warrior” isn’t so much a title as it is Po himself? The universe (Oogway) must choose the Dragon Warrior because they are a singular being of legend. It is one person, and that person is Po. Wasn’t the point of the first film that the title ultimately doesn’t really matter because there is no “secret ingredient,” so to speak? The title doesn’t actually give Po anything. “It’s just you,” Po says, and that was the resolution.

When it comes to Zhen as a character, contrary to what I predicted I would think of her, I thought she was okay. While I was still a bit distracted by how out-of-place her design looks, I wasn't truly annoyed by her at any point and she and Po had some cute moments. Even so, I think their relationship could have been a bit more refined and developed.

While it's evident that Po and Zhen are meant to have a teacher-student/mentor-apprentice dynamic, I think their relationship feels half-baked. There were parallels that contradicted one another and ended up being confusing come the film's conclusion, and the nature of their relationship seems to vacillate depending on the scene. Additionally, the strength of their bond goes from zero to one hundred within thirty-ish minutes and left me with a bit of whiplash.

We're shown that Po and Zhen care about one another, but we're never shown why. They have a brief conversation during which they bond over being orphans, and Zhen says at one point, "You're actually a good guy," but that's it. This obvious lack of development is a bit disorienting because we're later led to believe that Zhen and Po care very deeply for one another when there's almost nothing to back it up.

A scene that sticks out to me when discussing this is when Zhen attack-hugs Po in a way that explicitly mirrors Tigress's hug from KFP2. This happens around the beginning of the third act, and while it had the potential to be an endearing moment, I think it fell flat.

The impact of Tigress's hug was brought on by her character's hardcore nature and reputation of being heartless, further strengthened with the knowledge that she was hugging Po (which was obviously way outside her comfort zone) as a show of companionship and fundamental understanding. Tigress hugged Po because he needed someone to recognize his strive for closure.

Zhen's hug had little to no impact because she had no reason to do it and it didn't indicate growth. She hugs Po because she's sorry for betraying him and doesn't want him to be killed by the Chameleon, but neither of these things are newly-established via this hug; we have already gathered by now that Zhen regrets betraying Po and doesn't want him to get hurt.

The hug is far from the movie's weakest point, but I think it's unnecessary given the context. I'm big on hugs in movies (an underutilized form of platonic affection, in my opinion), but it didn't fit here. I don't hate it, and I see it as an honest effort to bring emotionality to Po and Zhen's relationship, but it seems arbitrary.

Zhen and Po's relationship has a lot of potential and I'd be open to seeing more of them in the future, but I think some more thoughtful development needs to occur before I can humor it further. Even so, I can see myself featuring Zhen in some future post-KFP4 one-shots—sparingly, of course, because we have a lot of Furious Five content to compensate for.

Overall, they had a cute dynamic and some sweet moments but I'm not attached. I'm on board with Po having a student but I think their relationship needs a lot more development, something that this film unfortunately didn't give them time to either accomplish or earn.

Now, onto the Chameleon!

The concept of the Chameleon's character is admittedly super interesting. She's the deuteragonist's fastidious mother figure who feels that Zhen owes her a debt and as a result holds her to an impossible standard. That dynamic had the potential to be so interesting but I didn't think it was explored at all. There is no indication of Zhen having any internal conflict about fighting the Chameleon, no emotional complexity between them at all; it's disappointing because I think it would've added a bit of earnestness to the film.

Additionally, the idea of a shape-shifting villain is versatile. A shape-shifting villain gives those telling the story a lot of room to experiment with the protagonist and different ways in which the main character can be challenged and tested. It's yet another good idea utilized poorly. Just one idea: the Chameleon could have disguised herself as one (or several) of Po's family, friends, etc. and brought to fruition a new arc with his character (seeing as he arguably doesn't have one in this film), but she only disguises herself as Zhen very briefly in the movie.

Furthermore, the Chameleon completely relies on the powers of previous villains to pose any sort of threat to the main characters. She summons Po's former nemeses from the Spirit Realm (despite there being little logic in doing so considering Kai's literal evisceration) and takes their kung fu abilities for herself.

An excerpt from my first KFP4 discussion post that I think is relevant to the point I'm trying to make:

I don’t think it would be in the best interest of anyone if the past villains were to come back in any way that’s not a flashback (even then, I’m not sure I’d see the point). In all honesty, I thought that the whole point of the villains was that they died and stayed dead. They were defeated by Po once and for all as a testament to the idea of establishing Po's character growth and journey as a person through the bad things he’s able to overcome. It’d be highly contradictory to the messages of the other films if these villains were to suddenly come back.

While there was an honest effort made to portray the Chameleon as intimidating, I never felt as though any of the characters were endangered by either her or her army of lizard henchman. She's a visually appealing character (aside from her eyes, which I thought more resembled those of a gecko than a chameleon) and I greatly enjoyed Davis's performance, but overall I don't see the Chameleon as a notable villain.

The return of Tai Lung (had he been on his own) had the makings to be an excellent story, especially considering the importance of teacher-student dynamics in KFP4. To see him interacting with Shifu would have been incredible and could have led to further closure on Tai Lung's end (because I think that's kind of what the team was going for anyway), but it didn't happen.

It was nice to see Ian McShane reprise his role, but I wish Tai Lung's characterization had been more reminiscent of the way he was in the first film and more complimentary of his overall character arc. Tai Lung isn't a one-dimensional villain with a singular goal and motivation, and I couldn't help but feel as though the complexity of his character was simplified for the sake of KFP4's narrative.

Tai Lung's presence in KFP4 may be odd, but Shen and Kai's appearances are even more so. Kai, if I remember correctly, was fully obliterated by Po, reduced to literal particles on screen (which is kind of wild now that I think about it). Shen being in the Spirit Realm makes sense all things considered; however, Po and Li had no visible reaction to his presence, which seemed a bit unlikely considering Shen's deeds. This plot hole can likely be attributed to the fact that Shen and Kai's cameos (to my knowledge) were last-minute additions to the movie.

I have to talk about the pacing. I have to. I'm sorry, bear with me.

To me, the film's pacing is erratic and disconcerting. While I can appreciate a quick-moving narrative that doesn't dawdle on storylines that aren't interesting/important, KFP4 kind of flings itself too far in the opposite direction and ends up being frighteningly fast-paced. Once the credits began, I felt like I had been holding my breath for the entire movie.

KFP4 is confusing because while the runtime is standard for a KFP movie, it feels incredibly short. At the same time, the film's story moves at a breakneck speed and leaves little time for heart and development. These things culminate into a barreling boulder of a movie that simply doesn't have time to let its characters, story, or audience take a breath.

A fast pace is not inherently negative, but I don't think it worked in the favor of KFP4. The KFP franchise has always been very emotionally grounded (and just very grounded in general), so to see a film in which emotion/heart takes an aggressive backseat in comparison to action and comedy is jarring. While I think it's unreasonable for fans to expect the same emotional integrity as the original films to be present in the current and upcoming ones, I still think there's room for Po to grow and I felt as though the notion of him developing further was brushed aside in this film.

As for Po's growth, I felt it was nearly nonexistent. The previous trilogy wrapped up his character's journey beautifully and I know that KFP4 was bound to struggle with this particular aspect of making another KFP film; however, just because the strongest pillars of Po's character are established doesn't serve as a valid excuse to reverse his development and repeat what he learned in KFP3.

In KFP3, Po learned firsthand that he is capable of spreading wisdom and teaching kung fu. He also learns that he is constantly growing and that change is inevitable; there is always something more to learn.

"If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are now."

"I don't want to be anything more, I like who I am!"

In KFP4, Po pushes against this narrative despite fully accepting it in KFP3, actively reversing crucial parts of his character development achieved in the latter. KFP3 was non-ambiguously about learning to cope with change and responsibility, and I can't help but feel like KFP4 is simply copying this message while not adding anything to it.

Additionally, I felt that KFP4's Po generally felt less personal than he has in the past. In every KFP movie up to the franchise's most recent addition, I felt very connected to Po as an audience member. I felt like I was truly seeing the world of KFP through his eyes. I consider this to be one of the franchise's most impressive feats; it's incredibly difficult to build a universe around a character without making the audience feel limited to one perspective and one part of the world.

With KFP4, I felt both limited and disconnected. The world didn't feel as vast and all-encompassing as it has in the past and Po didn't seem fully like himself. This could be me nitpicking (as I'm prone to do), but I can't recall a single moment in the movie in which Po was alone on screen. Scenes like these are crucial for me because I see them as a meet-cute between the character and the audience, a moment for us to cross the bridge into their world in a way that's silent and intuitive. These little bonding moments are absolutely integral to feeling connected to a character.

Po's dream sequence in the first KFP movie is one of the best examples of this. It presents his aspirations, alludes to his way of life up to the point of the movie, and showcases his personality. During Po's dream sequence, the audience is quite literally inside Po's mind; we're there with him, seeing what he sees, subsequently feeling what he feels. Po is a dreamer at heart and makes the audience feel like dreamers, too.

In KFP4, I felt like I little to no point of reference when it comes to how Po was feeling. I didn't feel immersed in him and his world.

I know I've been very "doom and gloom" throughout this post, which is an exhausting mindset for everyone involved. I want to end my critique with something positive because I think some praise is deserved. Let's just say the movie could have been a lot worse, the details of which I'm sure you're all well aware.

Congratulations, you've reached the end! Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to read this unnecessarily long and detailed review. As long as I help someone translate their conflicted feelings into coherent thoughts, I'll call it a win.

KFP4 has its flaws and there are a lot of aspects that I dislike, but the I greatly admire and respect the hard work put into the film by those of the crew who put their efforts forward and tried their best to make it work. This does not at all excuse my issues with the movie, but it's worth saying.

As for the future of the series, I only hope that the next installment is more considerate of the franchise's origins and why Po's story is being told in the first place. I fully believe that another sequel could be good (even great!), but only given a strong, passionate crew with a great understanding of the characters and world (and I wouldn't be averse to some previous directors returning, just to put it out there).

Thanks again to those who took the time to read this crazy excuse for a movie review. Feel free to either disagree with me or add things in the replies/reblogs, I'm always looking for more thoughts to think.

Until next time!

[wntrmelts]

Learning to love someone was tough.

Between keeping up with his duties as a harbinger and keeping his affections a secret, Ajax did not know what was the heavier burden. Getting swallowed up by work and forgetting was easy. Coming back and pretending like he did not see the hurt he had caused was not.

Hidden away in their own little world, his beloved cavalry captain spoke in gentle whispers and lazy smiles. He would nudge his face in the crook of his neck, a loving gesture Ajax did not know how to return.

He hoped that, in another universe, he could dream of titillating banter and stolen kisses where one’s biggest worry was whether the ‘love-me’s or the ‘love-me-not’s rang true.

It felt strange when people said that true love was warm. Perhaps something was wrong with him as he felt himself freezing the longer this went on. As he further approached the core of his affections. His mind told him no, yet he could not help but hold onto that piercing sensation, that feeling, that emotion so unfamiliar to him that it scared him. His frostbitten, barely functioning fingers clutched onto his love, and he accepted that he would shatter upon letting go.

There was something frightening about the mutuality of it all. His brutish hands were machines of war, made to take and destroy, yet he was entrusted with something— no, someone so fragile it left him wondering how someone like him could be enough. It sat with him after every kiss goodbye where he could see the strain in his lover’s eye. It was a growing fear that had become a weight so heavy as it lay upon his chest that he may as well forget how to

breathe.

Breathe in, and breathe out.

Learning to love someone was tough, but Ajax was willing to go through hell if it meant he could love Kaeya.

I think that Childe has a hard time coping with the actual FEELING of love. He was thrown into the abyss at a young age and became a soldier not long after. He recognizes familial love but romantic love is new and scary to him.

~~~

OKAY so this was a short threadfic I had written out for Twitter but I liked it enough to post it here. I also had some headcanons and explanations that I posted shortly after so HERE THEY ARE (copy pasted):

He's never had the chance to learn how to love and be a teenager and the abyss has definitely messed him up. Although he is good at masking, I think he struggles with it internally. (I personally like it most if Childe is aware of his flaws and wishes he was normal)

He knows how he's 'supposed to' express it according to societal standards but I feel like he has a need to express it differently that he logically cannot do.

My man is all about fighting and violence. You can't convince me that this doesn't affect other parts of his psyche.

Kaeya on the other hand HAS experienced love but is unwilling to receive it. He is afraid of getting hurt after getting attached to something again, especially after he has come to terms with the possibility that he will always be alone.

Once you actually get through to that man, I think he gets super clingy but doesn't like to outwardly show it or communicate it. He'll pretend he's okay with being apart, but he's a liar!!!

Kaeya in my head is a self-fulfilling prophecy and has probably (subconsciously) attempted to make people leave him to prove to himself and others that 'he is not worth it' since everyone always leaves him.

So I gotta add that if I ever write Kaeya in a loving relationship ACTUALLY getting broken up with

:)

[chorizoa]

entrail of faith — könig x reader

i have not properly written a fic or a snippet in so long, and I am physically aching to do so :3 plus, been obsessed with this man for like 3 months straight and it is NOT letting up— so, let me be indulgent, and nasty, and vile, and awesome while I cook up literary genius. (pls do not read my stuff if ur a minor ily mwah)

i hope u like :3 (cuz if u do I'm writing more)

cw: mentions of sex, force, and kidnapping, reader is mostly oblivious, Konig is just nasty and I'm shameless about it

synopsis(sorta): König has been a little crazy stalker, and you finally get close enough for him to make a move

———————————————————————

Konig was a good man, a routine man. His mother and grandmother had beaten manners into him, and daddy had his face shoved into a bible every Sunday morning. Everything was intentional, down to the way he stored his razors, all the way deep down to the way he shamefully ruts into his calloused palm each night. It all mattered— obsessively mattered.

Konig was a good man, a strong man. He tried so hard to keep his thoughts pure, be gentle with himself and others— lumbering about as if he were an animal latched to a ball and chain, a monster in the eyes of rookies and civilians alike— but he tried.

He can kill a man in less than ten seconds without a weapon, five with. He can dismember a corpse, and make someone seem as if they had never existed to begin with— he isn't a man of softness, he isn't a man who deserves a gentle hand, only his own thick mits that've been stained with decades of blood.

He wasn't  a man of softness—until he saw you. Effortless you. With your smile, the flowery trail of scent that tickled his nose in your wake, those fucking eyes— Konig tried to be a good man, but he wanted to so badly see them glossed over, heavy with arousal and desperation. How they'd roll when he—

Konig tried to be a good man.

— Sir? Are you ready to order?

Scheiße. Those eyes again, the way they fluttered— it was almost enough to distract him from the way that dingy little waitress get-up clung to your all-encompassing frame— and hearing the word sir  so obediently drip from your swelled lips made his cock twitch in his pants. Thank God he'd opted for the cargos today, and thank him again because you were such a good girl, you'd never peek.

Not that you'd have a chance, he loomed over you even at seated height— forcing your eyes up to meet his, seeming just much too big for the booth he shoved himself in— but, he was still shameless in the way his eyes roamed over you. At least you had the assurance he'd tip well.

— Ah- Ja, sorry Kätzen..

He cleared his throat, nervously tugging at the lip of his black surgical mask, his eyes darting about behind thick sunglasses. You're so pretty— what was he doing again? Ah, right, food. He wasn't hungry, not for anything they had here, except for you— but that wouldn't be a suitable answer, no, not for a precious little thing like you.

He could practically taste the aura that rolled off of you, you were no whore.

— Coffee- black, please. If it's not too much trouble.

Of course it wasn't too much trouble, it was your job. He was cursing himself internally, saying such stupid things to such a lovely girl. It would be easier if you were stuffed with his girth already, crying and spluttering as you struggled to fit him properly— he wouldn't say stupid shit then, but then you giggle- oh, fuck, you giggle and all the sudden he needs a freezing cold shower.

— Of course not, sir, will that be all?

Sweet girl, you should know not to smile at a man like that. Not a man like him, especially when his mind is full of bending you over this table and ruining that pretty head of yours.

— Yes, thank you, schätzchen.

He hoped you didn't know German, he hoped you were oblivious enough to let the way he was ripping your clothes to shred with his eyes go unnoticed— and of course, because you're such a good girl, it did.

— My pleasure- I'll be back in just a moment.

You are so polite, so sweet and efficient. He'd been watching you for a time now, the way you'd bustle about the café, being so kind even when majority of the creatures in here didn't deserve your time of day, not like he did— no, not anything like he did.

If he had it his way, you'd never work again. He'd throw money at you like it was a religion, give you all the codes and numbers to every bank account in his name— let you go on a spending spree, spoil you with fine lace and even better food. KorTac paid him enough, and he didn't spend a dime unless he needed something— unless he was indulging in you.

If he had it his way, you'd be dumb and obedient, you'd placate yourself to being his sweet little toy— and, oh, how he'd reward you for it. He'd keep you full of his seed, and happy with whatever object caught your affections, he'd build a goddamn castle for you. He'd never deny you a thing, as long as you kept looking at him like the most important person to exist— even if you were just doing your job.

— Your coffee, sir— oh, and careful, I just had them brew it.

Oh, you're such a darling. Fresh coffee? Just for him? You might as well give him your ring size now, he hopes you want kids.

— Lovely, Schatz, thank you.

— Of course, enjoy.

He almost felt crestfallen as you placed the bill next to him, and sauntered away, but your swaying hips could heal even the most shattered bones. Angels above, you were such a perfect thing— so innocent and lovely, you'd need to be protected, you'd need to be saved.

The heat of the coffee was nothing compared to the widely gaped blood vessels under his skin— breath threatening to catch everything he got a glimpse of you traipsing about. He had to make sure you were well distracted every time he dove in for a sip, you couldn't see his face, not yet.

If he were a better man, a more confident man, he'd leave you his number. He'd clean himself up, start a good conversation with you— take you to a fine dinner, even though he so hated the idea of something so insanely public. If he were half the man he held himself as, he wouldn't be salivating over you in an empty corner of the café.

Konig tried to be a good man, but he was slimy. He was a pervert, a danger— he'd never harm anyone— save for the men whose blood stained his hands, but he'd found himself craving indulgence in dark fantasies more than once. He was nasty, he was a monster, but he wanted to be soft for you. Simply, he wanted you, but his therapist would strongly advise against it— counseling that maybe, just maybe it's not best for his obsessive psyche.

Whatever, you'd learn to love it.

He had his reluctant fill of ogling, the tightening of his pants becoming too much to ignore, and the clatter of dishes becoming grating on his sensitive ears— he had to leave at some point. His coffee cup had long run dry, and he hadn't had the courage to waive you over for another.

If he were a better man, he'd leave you his number, but a crisp hundred to cover the bill— and leave you a tip to keep you fed— would definitely suffice. He tucked it under his coffee mug shamefully, wishing he just had the sack to speak to you— but that irritating fear of rejection always held him just at arms length.

How badly he wished he could just take you.

Everything else that wasn't you was boring, the streets were dull and gray, and rain drizzled like piss— just another way for God to mock him, punishment for his lustful behavior. Father would have a field day with him, if only he knew.

He stuffed his hands in the pocket of his soft-shell coat, rain pattering against it in an almost melodic sound. Nothing like your voice, though, oh nothing like that sound.

— Sir!

See, nothing like it, and he can't stop imagining it.

— Sir, you forgot your phone!

Oh, oh, he's not imagining that.

He whips around almost too fast, seeing you skirt on your heels as you stop your quick advance in front of him— his phone outstretched in a waiting hand. You really were such a lovely thing.

— Oh! Gott.. thank you, liebling— would have lost my head.

He wished he sounded.. cooler, smoother. But, he sounded like an inexperienced teen, stuck in a giants body. Always cringing at the sound of his own voice, but you smile and his world just fucking shifts— he couldn't give a shit how he sounded.

— it's- it's no worry, sir, I understand that.

Oh, your laugh, it's so sweet. He wants to touch you, grab you and squeeze you.

— I wanted to thank you actually- for the tip, I mean.. that was very generous of you—..?

You pause, trailing off as you look up at him. You want something, oh what is it maus? Anything. Say it, tell him— Oh, you want his name. His name. He has to fight the grin on his face.

— König— and do not worry yourself, Maus, it is no trouble. You work hard.

Now he's nonchalant, now he's found his groove. Keep being so humble, keep pretending like you don't want him to shower you in his endless wealth; keep looking up at him with those eyes that would be so much prettier coated in tears as you gagged on his thickness.

— Well, regardless, thank you, König.

Fuck, the way those pretty lips move with the pronunciation of his name— and you didn't miss a single vowel, what a good girl, what a smart girl. Oh, how he wanted to praise you like the good puppy you are, a collar with his name attached would be so pretty on you.

— Truly, Schatz, don't mention it— but, uhm-

Ah, he trailed, his fingers fidgeting with the lint of his pocket. Did he say it? Did he go for it? Either she'd be creeped, and run, or she'd be flattered— maybe even accepting. He had to keep it black and white, or he'd explode.

— Do you mind if I give you my number, liebling? I'd uh- I'd very much like to see you.. more.

Oh, he sounded like a fucking fool, and you looked so cute and patient; he was so used to drunken one-night stands, or shooting blanks into his hand when one just wasn't enough— this was so much harder when you looked like a literal angel to him, and not some cheap bimbo.

So patient, he wondered if you'd be like that while he railed you— even when you couldn't take it anymore. You were blushing, and he wanted to add tears to it, you were nervously fidgeting with your fingers, and he imagined them around his cock.

— Not at all, sir..

Today's a beautiful day. A lovely day even, the clouds had split just for him to bask in the loveliness of heaven's light— you sweet angel, you had no idea what you'd signed yourself up for.

— Perfekt. Hand me your phone, little one.

And you did, almost eagerly, such a good girl already. Following his orders so nicely, of course you did, even unlocking it before you passed it over.

His fingers never felt so nimble over a touchscreen, typing in his contact as if it were as easy as breathing— you seemed so shy, so nervous, it only made him confident. You made him confident, and he couldn't get enough.

— There you are, send me a text later, hm?

He hands the phone back grinning, he'd reward her for being so compliant— maybe work her open on his fingers just for now, a window of opportunity was wide open for him, and you were blushing all innocent and star-struck in front of him. He could not wait to ruin you.

— Yes, sir- König.. I'll do that. See you later!

— See you, maus.

Oh, you're so cute. You're so shy and it letting him read you like a filthy book. He knew you hadn't been taken care of, he knew you desperately needed satisfaction— and he'd give it to you tenfold, a sweet little thing like you deserved it. Especially since you did such a good job of hiding it behind that precious little smile.

Those eyes, they told him everything.

-----

pt.2 :3

[artiststarme]

Midlife Crisis

Should I write this into a longer fic or leave it as is? I hope you guys like it and please leave your thoughts in the comments!

~*~*~*~

Steve didn’t know what to do with his life. It was a common thought he had on his shifts at Family Video. What was he doing? He of all people knew how short life could be and yet, he was wasting his own. Steve spent his weekdays working soul-draining double shifts just to sleep all weekend or work some more to make a meager $3.25 an hour. It was pathetic. 

He didn’t have any goals or aspirations. His friends were making plans, trying to impact the world and make a difference. Dustin was taking a bunch of STEM classes so he could apply to MIT in a few years and work at NASA like some type of hotshot mathematical genius. Robin was applying for elite linguistics programs at colleges across the country to understand more cultures and ways of communicating. Even Eddie ‘repeated high school three times’ Munson had goals. He was traveling to different cities with the band, trying to make it big as Corroded Coffin. 

Steve’s biggest goal was to get out of bed in the morning and stay alive for another day but he wasn’t even doing that very well. He needed something to be interested in, something to devote his life to and take pride in but he had no idea where to even start. 

Steve was twenty years old and having a midlife crisis. He hadn’t even enjoyed any of the twenty years he’d been around and now it felt like he was too late to do anything about it. He was too old for college, too dumb to get in even if he wasn’t. He couldn’t get a good job without a degree or quality life experience and he couldn’t mention any of that thanks to a stack of NDA’s.

He needed something though. His parents were done with housing their deadbeat son who managed to disappoint them with anything he attempted. He was sick of his friends saying that they had to study or they’d end up like him. And he was sick and tired of being the only person he knew that had nothing going for him. 

So one day, he decided to be spontaneous. He put in an application to the University of Illinois with an entrance essay about personal struggles, neglect, and self-doubt. He poured his heart and soul into that essay hoping against all odds that the admittance committee would look past his mediocre grades and would take a chance on the kid that struggled all by himself behind a smiling facade. 

He forgot about the application until he got a letter in the mail from the university. He almost threw it away right then but decided to take a look just to reinforce what he already knew, no college would want him. 

But they did. They congratulated him on his acceptance into their school in the fall and complimented the writing skills in his essay. They said they looked forward to having him join their program and mentioned that he would make a difference. 

So Steve took them up on it. He kept the news to himself until it was time to leave and said his goodbyes to the Party on his way out of town. He was moving on so they could too. Steve wouldn’t be the one holding them back anymore. Then, he drove past the Leaving Hawkins sign without a backwards glance. 

Years later, Steve thought back on his midlife crisis. He was just a stupid kid at the time that didn’t know all of the options he had at his disposal. Now, he was a world-renowned novelist with novels on the New York Times Bestseller list. He never would’ve seen himself becoming a writer but here he was, working his dream job. 

He never would’ve seen himself dating Eddie ‘the freak’ Munson either but here they were, partnered since 1988, married since 2014, and touring the world together on the Corroded Coffin international tour. 

Steve was having a crisis about a lot of things but everything turned out better than he ever could have imagined. He could’ve given up or accepted that he would never make a difference in the world or have a purpose in life. But instead, he took a chance and now he was living the best life that he could’ve ever dreamed of.

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[hero-israel]

I wanted to apologize again for the rant. I barely remember writing it (which is kinda terrifying). I saw your suggestion to breathe and I’m trying lol. But I saw that it angered a number of people in the notes and I wanted to reiterate:

-I try and fight by finding information that combats the vast array of misinformation and spread the correct information. I’m an anxiety ridden non confrontational person and people online tend to be five times more eloquent than me. So basically all I can do is “spread the word.” The more people see the whole picture, the better, right? With my own mental struggles, I’ll see some horrid information, try and find where it came from and how it spread. When it’s everywhere ( on so many news outlets) and I don’t know what to do, I freak out. The awful Congo rumors are an example. Given the government has pulled back on those words, the best thing to call them at this point are rumors, right?

It’s surreal where I am. I am well aware I’m privileged. I count my blessings, and I worry over those that don’t. (Every story and testimony I hear about the female hostages in particular make me feel helpless and sick to my stomach. So much talk about the crisis women in Gaza are facing, but nothing about the conditions of female hostages. You have to actively search to find out, and it’s usually independent sources spreading the word of what released hostages have said).

And all of the conflict where I am is online. In the outside world, off of the local college campus, (which I think I said. I apologize again, I think I wrote the previous message in a panic,) people are only interested in their coffee. I count myself lucky that I have yet to encounter real life anti semitic situations when I know they’re happening a few hours away from me in larger cities. I am in no financial/economical position to volunteer in Israel to help relocate and aid the displaced in the south, as it came to my attention that there are international volunteers going over. I found out about Stand Together, which I tend to look into. I heard it’s a good organization. And then there’s….Tzedaka? Idk. I just know there are some good Israeli based organizations that give aid, but I can’t remember their names. I’d recognize them if someone said them.

I’m astonished I wrote that much? So I’m going to have to step back. I at least know domestically, I can help by getting the right people elected and combat misinformation. Biden will at least give everyone the freedom to fight with words. Trump would take away freedom of the press and chop free speech in half first chance he gets. I wonder about Nikki Haley, but I’m skeptical she will win the primary.

I don’t understand a lot of what’s going on because I feel like I keep wandering through muck. but I try. When I don’t get what I’ll looking for through news sources, I ask here. It’s easy to tell when news is biased these days and what’s telling the whole story these days. I think I struggle to comprehend how small Israel is sometimes and the idea of everyone being out on the field. (And I understand it’s a privilege to struggle to comprehend such a thing, if that makes sense). I keep thinking there must be people at their homes to fight the government when the government is being stupid, like the protests that happened during COVID, while at the same time I read today about a 95 year old man volunteering to work in the IDF. I try and figure out what’s going on with the regular every day people in Israel, knowing there’s active IDF and volunteers helping the displaced and any Gazans fleeing (though I think the border at the moment is closed, I could be wrong). Is it like Ukraine where quite literally anyone that is physically and economically able to do something is doing something to help?

I read yesterday that a vote may be held? That makes me hopeful. But it’s rare to vote a prime minister or president out of office in the middle of war. And it came to my attention that Israeli politics are as divided as American politics are. I knew they were divided before the war began, as I knew about the two massive protests that happened. I didn’t realize /how/ divided they were until recently. It seems are just more lines drawn in the sand in Israel than there are in the States, and there are more factions and coalitions in Israel. And while there’s not as many lines drawn in the States, the existing lines run deep, and they’re getting vicious. I don’t know how bad the lines drawn are in Israel.

So uh yeah, to everyone, I’m sorry for any misunderstandings. I ramble more than I am eloquent. I’ll take my anxiety ridden butt offline for the moment. I’ll come back better. And thank you specifically for reminding me to breathe

The responses from Israelis on the original post are worth reading.

I didn't have the time or space to address every point of the first post and I still don't for this one, but I can say this much:

When someone is struggling with anxiety, it can leave them prone to doom-spirals even during "normal" levels of bad news. Right now for every Jew except the ~240,000 remaining Holocaust survivors, the news is worse than we've ever seen in our lives. We are all feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to help, how to chip in. If it has indeed reached the level of panic - which you described as severe enough to leave you with "missing" time / actions - it's okay to really take some time off from this, to get help. It's okay to set a literal timer on your phone for how much you engage - to give yourself one hour every other day, and stick to it. No one is helped by a person getting so deep into crisis that they can't function.

You mentioned the programs where people can travel to Israel to help keep farms operational and stuff care packages for displaced families - perhaps you yourself aren't in a position to do that, but could you instead try to encourage other people to do it? Can a local synagogue recommend a phone-banking effort?

The Congo stuff is not a "rumor" - it is "jerking off." Someone idly speculating / wishing to do something which they have neither power nor mechanism to do. It is significantly less real than the time Trump talked about buying Greenland; put it in that context.

Israel is a tiny country, with genocidal fascist militias parked on its northern and southern borders; the reason they can't just pull out of the West Bank is because if not properly managed it would immediately turn into another Gaza but bigger and on top of a mountain range with all of Israel's biggest cities at the bottom. The country is now forced to mobilize for self-defense in a way most Americans can't imagine; if my math is correct, about 4% of the entire population is on active duty within Gaza now, and they all left their families and day jobs behind.

Your prior post asked "can't sensible Israelis stop Netanyahu?" - they've been trying very hard and the outside world has no clue. There were massive protests and riots near-nonstop for a year, including a general strike that shut down the entire country - shut down the hotels and the airport! - that actually managed to get the judicial overhaul postponed. When it did come back, it was in a weaker form (still awful), and then the courts were able to erase the very worst of it and postpone other parts. As an American who has done my fair share of door-to-door canvassing, protesting, and """awareness-raising""", I wish American progressives and centrists had been that successful when it came to, say, the Iraq War, or gun control, or protecting Roe...

There is no imminent vote on the current government (there are municipal elections coming very soon, but those are less important). The next national election - the kind you're thinking of - is October 2026. Which is awful to think about and I sincerely hope the government collapses long before then, as Israeli governments have tended to do for the last 5-6 years.

In general, the most reliable news sources are TOI and Ynetnews, and I listed some good resources here.

I hope this was somewhat helpful and that you are able to reach a better place while still finding a way to defend our community.

[rekas-writes]

Hello, can I order headcanons? If so, I would like a yoru x male reader with an agent whose skills are similar to a vampire, remember to eat healthy and take care of yourself!! ♡

A/N: Hello and thank you for your order! It was really fun to write! I promise I am also taking care of myself ^^ And here’s a note for you to do the same too!

Also, my inbox has quite the stack of reqs, but I’m doing my best to get through the list as quickly and as thoroughly as possible! It’s just a little bit overwhelming ^^; It’s also not helping that Tumblr on my pc is eating my reqs ;-; I’m glad my phone has all of them still (at least I hope it does-)

✧☕✧ Thank you for ordering, please do visit again soon~! ✧🍮✧

Strange Cravings and Love Bites

Pair: Yoru/ M! Agent + Radiant! Reader Source: Valorant

Type: Headcanons - 1,222 words Genre: Fluff, Slice of Life, Angsty/Hurt w/ Comfort at the very end Perspective: Second-Person (You/Your)

TW: Mild references to violence, reader getting hurt, reader biting Yoru and getting a little carried away but he's fine! + thought of Yoru dying at the very end

⋆♱✮☽🦇☽✮♰⋆

You remind Yoru a lot of the classical vampire figure, to the point where he kind of associates you with some of the common tropes. More specifically, the weaknesses. You may not be able to tell with his prickly demeanour, but he is a worrier- especially with those he holds dear, doubly so if it concerns his boyfriend. He doesn't want you to get hurt, and ends up projecting that whenever he gets harsh.

Que his surprise when he sees you eating garlic bread or chilling casually under the sun. You had to remind him that you weren’t actually a vampire, and if they really did burn up- Reyna would have to carry an umbrella to every day mission (You heard her laugh behind you right after. You weren’t sure whether to count your days or to consider yourself on her good side)

Though, that being said, the Sun probably does have some kind of influence over you and your abilities. Maybe you have an allergic reaction if you’re under it too long, or it takes longer to channel your abilities, or you could just feel weaker under the harsh light (Maybe even changing personality like a certain FE character)

Somehow, being beside Yoru makes that all feel better, if just a little. Maybe it’s because he’s your 夜 (*Yoru -> night). Your comforting, starlit night in the overwhelming brightness of day. If you ever spill those thoughts to him, he will short-circuit no matter how hard he tries to brush it off. Any flattery unrelated to his prowess in battle is way harder for him to take in and retort, even with his ego. It’s quite easy to tease him and watch his face glow warm with a blush- like the hue of the setting Sun

"Like the night sky, you're like a blessing to me! My very own good luck charm! Thank you, Yoru."

"... You're terrible at flirting. Focus on the mission already, idiot," // Internally: "adsjjskdjdk???SDAJKDAJHKJDK???"

If your eyes are sensitive to the light, there’s a good chance he gave you a pair of sunglasses. They might’ve even been your first gift from him! Having seen you wordlessly struggling with the glaring sunlight, he either leaves a pair in your locker or shoves them in your face while avoiding your eye contact. He will never admit that he was thinking about you, let alone worrying enough to get you something. Don’t ask, he will scoff and say it’s because he doesn’t want you dragging the team behind with your incompetence. Ouch.

You may have keen senses, like Reyna’s ability to hear people’s heartbeats. Your eyes are sharp, and you can smell copper like a shark despite nothing being spilt on the battlefield just yet; or perhaps your sense of smell is more distinct. Maybe certain people smell sweet and alluring or plain and uninteresting, if you have the urge to feed just like a vampire. You may even need to feed, in order to recover your strength. (On base, you totally drink from "juice pouches" Like some kind of morbid capri-sun)

If it’s the latter, Yoru most definitely draws you in the most. There’s just something you can’t put your finger on. If you focused on it, you'd be able to guess where he was with those heightened senses of yours. Mirror Yoru really needs to watch out when you’re on the prowl, that unique draw applies to him too

As a radiant related to creatures of the night, there’s a very good chance you can shapeshift into a bat! Yoru could never admit it but he thinks that form of yours is very cute. He definitely has the urge to just hold you whenever you shift. He thinks you can’t tell, but you can see the way his expression subtly changes to one of awe. No thought, only hold bat boyfriend gently.

Some agents have definitely found you like that, just napping somewhere in the common room with you in your bat form perched on his head. You might even be able to control or summon bats! He put a limit on how many you could summon in his room, though. He's not willing to have his bed be surrounded in bats, unfortunately :(

There’s been times where you've pushed yourself too far, the strain bearing its weight down on you. Like all radiants, you get tired when you use your abilities too much. You’re running on empty when you get hit badly, body too exhausted and hungry to mend itself like usual. Alone with a hand pressed to your biggest wound, you wait- head growing foggier as time seems to all but slow down.

You can’t describe the look on Yoru’s face when he finally finds you. He’s silent, and you can't hear his usual scolding and sharp insults. It's frightening, you realise. More frightening than your possible death. Instead, he's kneeling forward and offering his arm to your mouth. It’s positively dizzying when you breathe in, self-control broken as your body demands for you to accept.

When you finally snap back to focus, you’d never felt dread like that before, lurching backwards as you try and focus on hearing the thud of Yoru’s pulse. Guilt and anxiety are at the forefront of your mind, with apologies spewing forth and shaking hands. He only brings you into a slight hug, one partially induced out of light-headedness, as he mumbles your name and a partial command/plea,

“Take better care of yourself.”

He makes you swear to come to him whenever you need to drink after that. Yoru can't bear the sight of you like that again, slouched, wounded and gasping for breath with dulling eyes, your skin a sickly hue. He was prepared to offer as much as it took to get you back to usual. He probably accidentally confessed here and now, after realising just how much you meant to him.

If immortality is part of your radiant abilities, deep down, you knew this wonderful relationship would one day become a bittersweet memory. You avoided telling him for as long as possible, not wanting to burden him with your knowledge of what will happen. But one day, it’s inevitable as you gaze at the night sky and count the stars like they’re the countdown to the day you would be left behind.

You’re sombre, the terrifying thoughts weighing you down more than usual, and Yoru can tell whatever it is that had been plaguing you for these past few weeks is really piling up. He doesn’t want to have to force it out of you, but it pains him to see you like this. He’ll wait, no matter how long it takes to gather the strength

That day, you break. It’s as he holds your hand gently- as though you’re made of glass. He calls your name, not your code name, not a nickname. His tone is just as gentle, yet firm- steadfast in letting you know he has you as much as you have him,

“You can talk to me.”

You crack and splinter, caving in to his warmth and comfort. You vent the painful pangs in your heart, the dark storm that rages in your head. All that pent up grief and pain floods out into the abyss of night. To the world’s night and your night; the night that lets you cling close and embraces you readily to soften your anguish

[wrens-versus-the-world]

A small sneak peak into what I've been working on

Foreword:

I have no knowledge of nursing/ medicine, so any info in this fic may not be accurate (aka don't try this at home kids lol).

also! If you're feeling so kind please message me and lmk if i need to fix something (chances are i'll do it)

Anywho, onto the story!!!

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One good thing about working late was that your mind tends to not fully comprehend the death of your patient due to pure exhaustion.

I haven't been working for the hospital as long as some of the other nurses here, but I think I've begun to get the hang of it. I've also been following the rules that I learned from my senior in my med school.

The rules are as follows:

Rule one: Never, and I mean never anger your fellow nurses. Doctors are fine, its the nurses who know what to do anyway.

Rule two: Always make sure to get rid of the expired blood! It'll take up space and it only takes one inexperienced nurse to lead to a disaster.

Rule three: If you work the night shift, after a while you may hear your name whispered as though very close to your ear. Whatever you do, do not follow the voices.

it was the third rule that my senior, Pei Xui, always repeated to us. Us being me and my college roommate, Jian Lan. We were like two peas in a pod, we went to two different high schools. But in our first college class calculus 1001, the both of us fresh out of high school, and both of us struggling, we quickly became good friends.

I digress, Pei Xui always told us to ignore anything strange we heard when we went to intern at hospitals. I never really questioned it, especially because his family, namely his little uncle Pei Ming, is a famous doctor who owns many hospitals. However after the hospital that Pei Xui interned at--the one he was supposed to take over two years from then, when he would have graduated--got shut down. For medical malpractice no less.

Even now, four years later, a nurse. I still don't question it. because whether or not he participated in the incident at that hospital or not, he was right.

Working the night shift at the hospital you begin to realize that you do hear someone, or something, calling your name. And Pei Xui was right, you don't follow it. You ignore it, and continue on with the night.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Word count: 363

I am trying to increase my vocabulary, and change my writing style some. So, in that spirit I have decided to write this!

I really like all of the characters in TGCF (heaven's official blessing), so I am going to try to include a lot of them here.

Although I may not get to everyone, so if you really were hoping to have someone mentioned and you don't see them, sorry!

On another note, I am going to try to keep them 'cannon,' or as cannon as they can be with this not being the original.

So, since Pei Xui got banished from the heavenly realm, Pei Xui gets bye-byed from his job here too :D

(although this wont stay true for the entire story, so don't count on it)

[thinkatoryprocess]

Do you go crossover fic because Armand and Spike interacting would be something. But I'm also curious how you'd change buffylore to fit with iwtv and vice versa? Does the idea of a slayer fit into iwtv?

Did you watch angel?

I think slayers definitely change the tenor of IWTV, because our boys and girls in IWTV act as though there isn't anything that could possibly be a threat to immortality. I think it's possible to make the argument (in mixing the two) that there are the kind of ditch vampires who hide underground or in abandoned buildings and there are rich vampires who live in luxury and don't seem to be afraid of anyone. Slayers pick off the ditch vampires because that's easy and they're the ones attacking people in much more public spaces. It would take a slayer a lot more effort to kill, for example, Armand, or even Louis, because they clean up after themselves and don't run risks. It's possible slayers aren't even sure they exist.

I think there's room for someone to write a slayer who takes a break from catching the obvious bait to instead hunt for real game (Armand, Louis, Lestat). Cat and mouse, but who's the cat, kind of thing.

If Armand meets Spike, Spike would go out of his way to be as classy as possible, which is not easy and wouldn't go as well as hoped. But I think Armand would respect Spike's comfort with his vampiric nature (not everyone's got that) and view him as a curiosity. Louis gets jealous because Armand is picking apart Spike's brain (especially interesting post-chip); Armand offers Spike the chance to be de-chipped, because there's a good chance with the amount of money they've got that someone could figure it out, and that's an internal struggle Spike has to deal with.

I watched some of Angel, admittedly. Not a lot. It had interesting things going on, I just lost track of it as it aired and never managed to catch up. I know the cast and I know the shape of some of the later arcs just from fannish osmosis.

[bloomdigital]

Hiya, Miriam here, Bloom CEO, human being existing in late stage capital etc..

I worked really hard on this video yesterday, and at the end of the day Alan our lovely intern said the script I wrote sounded like I was identifying as transgender (which I do not).

We've been having a time here at Bloom as I am sure many of you have as well. The political scene, as well as our current workload has left us all fairly stressed.

All that to say when I found out I had spent an hour or two working on a video where I accidentally identified as trans while trying to explain I was in pain for the trans community, and therefore would have to re-edit the whole thing, I wasn't really feeling too good.

The above video is the end result: I think it's great for Tiktok or Instagram, but it's a little too polished and doesn't really get at the heart of why I feel so strongly this week, over other years. So I am writing this rambly little tumblr post to go with it. Tumblr has always understood Bloom and our games, in a different way so this feels more like a home base for us :D and I wanted a chance to really meditate and emote.

Here's the thing: I am not transgender, I identify as a CIS woman, however in an "I AM SPARTACUS" way, I am. We all are, when it comes to supporting and defending trans folk from hate.

Gender is a pernicious power structure used to control people and put us in boxes. My trans friends, (and to be 100% honest about how old I am, the children of some of my dearest CIS friends) are doing the hard work every day, telling the world without hesitation that they don't subscribe to the norms and rules of gender. Rules that make so much other shitty societal stuff not only possible but acceptable.

Trans people show us that gender can be fun, freeing; it can feel true, or performative; deeply embodied and physical, or entirely in the mind; even expressed in relation to somebody else. This defiance, flies in the face of so many deep controls, and puts trans folk in a especially vulnerable place as we all work to transform society.

As a 6 year old child being called tomboy for wanting a short haircut, to my current incarnation as a 47 year old woman deeply invested in ripping the patriarchy into tiny shreds and feeding it to the flames of revolution, I am deeply appreciative that the work transfolk do lifts us all up. And so it is hard not to feel entirely emeshed in their struggle. I am carrying water every day for trans folk. I would wash their feet if I could, if it weren't the creepiest thing ever.

From the bottom of my heart, trans community Bloom is in your corner.

PS: Sorry Alan, I didn't let you read this first, I hope that's ok :D

[multiplicity-positivity]

Hi! Thanks so much for this blog, I appreciate what you do so much!

I would like to ask for advice... I found myself in OC/writing/roleplay circles during my formative years. I had internalized a lot of ableism and treated those that I now know are alters as OCs... myself and others were very unkind to them. I was in very awful, ableist circles.

I met my now life partner through RP, and my alters fell in love with their OCs... I've realized I'm plural and they're a part of me. But my partner doesn't see theirs that way. I'm at a loss. My alters feel so much grief and even resentment. I know it's not my partner's fault, and they try very hard to support all of us. But what many of us thought we loved just isn't there.

Do you have any advice for navigating this sort of grief...? Or anything about how to repair my relationship with my alters after what we've gone through?

Thank you. I hope you the day treats you kindly.

Hello… This sounds like a tough situation to be dealing with tbh, and we’re sorry that your alters are going through something like this. Honestly my first thought is that grief is grief, and they (your alters) should be welcomed and encouraged to process their emotions in ways that feel useful and affirming for them.

It could be beneficial to treat this as a sort of unrequited love situation. So getting some space from these characters, at least for a while, may be necessary in order for these alters to move on. It doesn’t have to be forever, but it could be worth it to ask your life partner if y’all could hold off on the RP for a few months, to give these alters some space from them and a chance to process without having painful reminders popping up regularly.

If you haven’t already, providing some sort of private, individual outlets for your alters would be a great idea. Be it a journal, document, private Discord server, or personal blog, letting each alter have their own space to vent and let out their thoughts could help immensely. Trying to provide these outlets could also help to show your alters that you care about them and want to prioritize and support them while they go through this difficult time.

We’re also thinking it could be good for them to have the opportunity to speak to someone else, besides your life partner or other system members. Therapy is the obvious choice here, but if you have friends or family members who you’re out to about being plural, that could be good, too. If not, maybe you can allow your alters some space to try and make some friends for themselves, whether on or offline. Having a solid support network is crucial for anyone struggling with grief - it will be much harder to heal and process if they feel like they’re going through it alone.

As far as trying to repair your relationships with these alters… have you tried giving them genuine apologies for the ableist ways you treated them in the past? Expressing your remorse and then actively working to do better will probably be the best way to start bridging the gap in y’all’s relationships. Also you could try asking them what it would take in order to make it up to them, then take strides towards accomplishing that.

If apologies have already been made, honestly I think that trying to make your alters a priority in your life in ways that they can see and approve of could help a lot. Pay attention to what they want. Try to surprise them sometimes. Include them in decision making and ask for their opinions. Take the time and effort to try and get to know them better. Make spaces for them in your life and afford them agency in the real world as often as possible. Allowing your alters the chance to just live their lives in the ways that they choose could be really healing in and of itself.

These are my thoughts, anyway. Sorry if nothing we said here sounds like it would work for y’all. I really hope that things in your system will improve soon, and y’all will be able to repair these relationships and move forward as a system in positive ways.

[logically-asexual]

hihihiii! how r uuu??? i hope u fiiine, so long since i went away

how would you rewrite gabriel's character? (i mean his arc or personality or backstory or everything)

give me even the tiniest detail.

i want to know.

hello!! haven’t seen you in a while!

happy youre interested in my view! here’s my answer:

there are some things that i would probably write different on the show, though they’re mostly things i would like to add! because there’s so much potential for so many things but the show has limited time and i think it’s very good as it is. and most of those ideas i have i already wrote into fanfics lol.

however when it comes to gabriel i adore him and i adore the way he’s written and the way he’s developed. i love the progress he goes through to meet his doom lol. in that aspect i definitely would not be better than the miraculous writers already are. (also considering i have no professional experience writing 😅)

anyway the only thing i would maybe write differently is, again, to add a little extra bit in cat blanc. here’s the thing.

throughout the show gabriel changes a lot and at later points he is willing to do things he wasn’t willing to do before, and you can SEE how this progresses in the repetition of certain circumstances where what changes is how he faces them. for example, we see him first get an opportunity to akumatize adrien and he doesn’t do it, and instead tries to talk to him. then in season 5 he’s become worse so the second time he gets the chance he does try it.

another circumstance that we see repeating is gabriel finding out that adrien is cat noir. if he found out adrien was cat noir early, he would face that like how he did in the movie. the worry for his son would be enough to make him give up. because his conviction to achieve his goal wasn’t stronger than his will to protect adrien. yet.

then come cat blanc and ephemeral, where he is more determined to win than before so now he does react by taking advantage of adrien. but there’s a subtle difference that still places them in different moments from the continuous progression of gabriel’s madness.

first goes cat blanc, where he knew about adrien’s identity but didn’t react immediately. it was only until ladybug and cat noir had practically caught him that he revealed his identity and used his knowledge of his son’s to his advantage. presumably as a last resort.

then in ephemeral gabriel is worse so he literally has zero hesitation to use adrien immediately. again these are illustrative of where gabriel is at in terms of his obsession.

so the only thing i would add is that in cat blanc we got to see some of what gabriel was thinking in between finding out adrien’s identity and the moment when he akumatizes adrien. maybe a short conversation with nathalie that shows he’s grappling with this information and struggling to decide how he’s going to act afterwards. like. make it more clear that this is a middle point between what he did in the movie (immediately giving up) and what he did in ephemeral (immediately using adrien to his advantage).

i assume that there was an internal struggle and a lot of meditation from the fact that gabriel waited before akumatizing adrien, but i would like to have seen it.

but that’s pretty much it. i love him just the way he is.

[chloesolace]

Book Review: "The Scarlet Veil" by Shelby Mahurin

Spoiler-free

Genre: young adult, fantasy • Triggers: trauma, death, graphic descriptions of corpses, kidnapping, blood, misogyny, murder • Year of Publication: 2023

Plot: ★★★★

Characters: ★★★★

Writing Style: ★★

Re-Readability: ★★★

all my reviews - blog navigation - Discord Server

General Thoughts

During the first half of this book I thought I would end up disliking it, and was very disappointed because I have been looking for an aristocratic vampire romance for ages. Not reverse-harm, not vampire warrior, no, the actual aristocratic-long-hair-wine-glass-in-hand-elegant vampire one might associate with figures like Carmilla and Dracula. This is also the main reason I did not DNF this, and I'm really glad I gave it a chance, because it ended up getting better the further I got and had me at the edge of my seat toward the ending.

I do wanna say that I have not read Serpent & Dove and although this is a spin-off with the same characters (just a different one taking on the role as MC), I understood everything I needed to. So, in my opinion, reading the Serpent & Dove trilogy is not necessary in order to read this. Sure, you might not have as much of a connection with the characters when you begin to read, but everything that's relevant to the story is explained quite nicely in my opinion. Now, moving on to the actual review.

Plot

The plot is a murder mystery. Bodies of supernatural beings turn up with two puncture wounds in their throats. Without getting into spoiler territory, I can say that the plot is very interesting and has some nice twists in there, too. You will definitely be entertained by it if you enjoy this sort of thing.

Celie being kidnapped and brought to the vampire castle is a scenario I also enjoyed reading. There was a bit of an enemies-to-lovers dynamic going on at times, since Celie, our MC, justifiably disliked Michal, the vampire king, in the beginning. Yes, I know that being kidnapped and then falling for your kidnapper is somewhat problematic but really, this is fiction and YA (not a dark romance). Celie was not actually treated like a real prisoner, and that only progressed further as the story went on; she was dressed in beautiful gowns, walked around the castle grounds and island, and even went on an undercover mission with Michal at a brothel *ahem*.

Also, if authors tried making every fictional scenario inherently healthy and unproblematic I'd die of boredom. I want that in real life, not my books x). But I digress.

Characters

I really disliked Celie in the beginning. Her actions and internal monologue felt juvenile, to the point where I seriously struggled to believe she was 19 and not, say, 15. I understand that she was supposed to be this soft, feminine and lady-like character and this is actually a character type I'd like to see more of, as feminity is often demonized and seen as weak by readers. However, it wasn't Celie's "lady-like" personality I had an issue with, but how she felt infantilized sometimes. The other characters kept her entirely separate from any plans they made, even if she was directly involved in one of the murders since she found the body. This is a good idea, but the execution made it feel like "go away, the adults are talking" instead of "she is too traumatized to take part in this", which is what I believe Mahurin was going for. It is also easier to believe the former due to Célie's often childish behavior and reactions. You can be soft and feminine but still behave a bit more maturely, which is what I would have hoped for her. Still, her character development was fairly satisfying. She still has a long way to go, I think, and I am looking forward to hopefully seeing that develop in book two.

Michal is a character I hope to see Mahurin elaborate on more. We don't know that much about him yet, so it is really hard to judge. He states at some point, and this is no way a spoiler (honestly, it felt kind of random for him to say it), that he is afraid of love. Why? What happened for him to develop that fear? So far I can say that I love how he has a very ruthless and violent side, but can also be extremely caring and sweet at the same time.

I also loved the side characters, at least the vampire ones, Odessa and Dimitri. Especially Odessa. I cannot say much for the Serpent & Dove characters because they mostly appear in the first section of the book, which is exactly the section I disliked.

In general, I enjoyed the characters. I'm giving four out of five stars, though, because as I said before, I think Célie's character could have handled a bit more maturely in the beginning, especially since she was supposed to be 19.

Writing Style

As always, this is entirely subjective but I include this part in my reviews since writing styles have made or broken books for me, and I would like to offer those interested in the books insights into the style before buying it, so you can decide for yourself if this is something you'd enjoy reading.

Oh boy. I didn't really like it, I fear. Firstly, the narrator is a first-person present tense which is already not my favorite combination, but it is easy to overlook really. The main issues I had were t-t-the c-c-onstant s-stuttering l-like this. It was wholly unnecessary in my opinion and widely overused. I also think we have been past this in publishing and established that there are better ways to write stuttering t-than t-t-this. There are stuttering writing guides online. I actually loved the fact Celie stuttered, since it showed her character development very well, I just wish the stuttering had been written differently.

Secondly, the constant italicization of words for emphasis got on my nerves, too. Using it sometimes is totally valid, but I swear there was not one page without at least four or five italicized words for emphasis, and that's not even counting the constant repetition of sentences that had already been said at some point before, just so the reader doesn't forget anything. Those were also in italics, of course.

Overall, this improved toward the end of the book, though. Celie's stuttering ceased and so did the italicization for emphasis (mostly). Still, this is something that annoyed me a tremendous amount and one of the reasons why it was so hard for me to get through the first part of the book, hence the two stars.

Re-Readability

I think this book can definitely be re-read. Especially if you enjoyed the romance scenes between Michal and Celie, like I did. However, keep in mind this book has about 620 pages so it is not short by any means. Also, I would probably skip the first part of the book if I ever re-read it and jump straight into Celie arriving in Requiem.

Conclusion

In essence, I enjoyed this book. It was exactly what I was looking for in terms of vampire romance, but it also pulled me right into the story and I am very excited to see what will happen in book two, especially after that ending. I don't think I will pick up Serpent & Dove, however, since the story of that trilogy doesn't peak my interest as much.